Which tonal relationship shares the same key signature as its major counterpart but has a different tonic?

• A. Relative major
• B. Relative minor
• C. Parallel minor
• D. Enharmonic

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that a minor key can share the same key signature as its major counterpart while having a different tonic. This relationship is called the relative minor: the minor key is built on the sixth degree of the major scale, so it uses the same sharps or flats as the major key but centers on a different tonic.

For example, C major has no sharps or flats. Its relative minor is A minor, which also has no sharps or flats, even though the tonal center is A instead of C. That same-key-signature, different-tonic pattern is what defines the relative minor.

Other relationships don’t fit this description: parallel minor shares the same tonic as the major key but uses a different (more accidentals) key signature; enharmonic refers to same pitches spelled differently (like C# and Db) and isn’t about sharing a key signature with a major key.